Day 23 - Geocaching on the Murrieta Creek Trail

Last Saturday was National Trails Day. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new trail system here in Temecula called Murrieta Creek Trail. This is a totally paved trail (which is why we didn't do it last week). Today we wanted to use strollers so we decided to have a picnic, then try out a small portion of this trail.

The portion of the trail we walked was in full sun, not super scenic, and pretty full of trash (notice the shopping cart in the background of the picture above) BUT is was full of geocaches. We only walked 0.6 miles on the trail and were able to find 3 geocaches.

Can you see the tiny cache they're holding?

The geocaches we found today were all "micro" caches. They only had room for a small log. And they were tricky to find. We learn more with each geocache search. We are learning that our phone gets up in a pretty vague general area and we should invest in a handheld GPS. We are also learning tricky locations that geocaches could be placed. I thought they were always just up in trees or hidden under rocks. We are also learning the variety of containers that are used for geocaches. These tiny micro caches were all different from each other and totally different from our first cache, which was a huge, homemade black envelope. Kid one is really eager to place our own cache, but I want to see a few more first. Maybe when we get back to AZ...

Day 17 - Walking and Geocaching

If the weather is nice, we like to enjoy a Sunday evening stroll. There happened to be a geocache hidden in the park right by Grandma's house, so we today we combined our walk with a treasure hunt.

Unfortunately, we did not find the geocache today. It was supposedly an easy one and we searched all over with no luck. We were a little disappointed, but it was fun searching for it. And we did get to enjoy the nice weather this evening.

Earlier this summer there was a geocache hidden by our hike at "A" mountain. It was more rewarding actually finding the hidden treasure. The kids are more into it if they have a gps or phone to hold and follow. I was nervous handing the iPhone over but luckily it didn't get cracked today. I think next time I will bring the otter box case to give it a little more protection.

Have you ever been geocaching and do you have any tips for newbies like us?

Day 16 - Dripping Springs Hiking Trail

In honor of National Trails Day today, we went for a hike on a new trail with extended family in Temecula, CA. To read my tip on hiking with kids go here. I've written a review about Dripping Springs Trail on Trekaroo.com.

We were in town the same time as my sister's family. We really wanted them to join us in this hike, but she didn't have a carrier for her baby. I let her use my Ergo baby carrier and quick improvised a wrap to carry Kid Five in.

How to quickly Make a Baby Wrap (like a Moby Wrap)

1. Find an old, flat sheet
2. Cut 2-12" wide strips, length-wise (so you have 2 pieces that are about 1' by 6'
3. Tie (or sew) together the two pieces at the short ends, so you have on extra long strip. I put the short ends of both pieces together and tied the top corners and the bottom corners so I had two knots and a open space between.

That's it. Quick and easy wrap out of stuff around the house. It was comfortable for me and baby. For instructions on tying a baby wrap check out this website.

Day 4 - Silly Mountain Hike

My kids are not big fans of hiking. But c'mon, a high of 88 in Phoenix on Memorial Day? I had to take advantage of the weather and do something outside! I'd heard good things about the hiking for families at Silly Mountain in Apache Junction, AZ. It was a little challenging but we had a great time. You can read my full review of Silly Mountain Park here.

The Art of Persuasion

Sometimes I really want to do something and my kids don't (for example this hike). Usually, once we head out, they have fun. The problem is convincing them they want to head out in the first place. I could just drag them out with me (and sometimes I do), but everything is a lot more enjoyable without whining children. I have a few tricks of persuasion that work...sometimes. 

Trick #1: Combine the planned activity with something they like. Kid 2 loves climbing rocks, so I made sure to find a hike he could climb on. 

Trick #2: Make a deal. Let them choose the next day's outing if they agree to go along with yours without complaining. Kid 1 had been wanting to go on a date with Daddy. She was much more agreeable about today's hike after her breakfast out with Dad.

Trick #3: Bribe them. Yes, I sometimes bribe my children. Today, if they did a good job on the hike, we could stop by Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Kid 3 loves to go his own pace, which is slow. Telling him he could get a kid's meal for lunch if he kept up with his older siblings really sped him along.

I'd love to hear your tricks of persuasion! I could always use a few more tricks up my sleeve.
Find tips for hiking with kids here.

Day 2 - Hiking "A" Mountain

Usually, hiking isn't a pastime we Arizonan's get to enjoy to much in the summertime, but lucky for us, we've had some unseasonably cool weekends. To make the most of the nice weather today, we decided to try hiking "A" Mountain in Tempe, Arizona. You can read my full review of the hike here.

Tips for Hiking with Kids

• Bring snacks and water: My kids will hike farther and complain less if they aren't hungry or
  thristy
• Have designated stopping points: Find a point in the distance and say, "That is where we will
  
  take our next break." That way it doesn't feel like endless walking. The kids know they can at least make it to that next point.
• Get a good baby carrier: I love my Ergo for our almost one-year-old. She almost always falls asleep as soon as we put her in. We've also borrowed a Kelty pack for a longer hike that was comfortable for both Daddy and Baby.
• Choose hikes over trails: I don't know if this is true for all kids, but mine move a lot better when they are climbing or navigating over rocks verses walking a flat trail. 
• Research hikes to make sure they are kid-friendly: My favorite list of family-friendly hikes for the Phoenix area can be found here.
• Look for nearby Geocaches: Searching for a geocache or letterbox quickly turns a hike into a treasure hunt.

What tips would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments.